Hosiery



Sept. 22, 1931. r R. E. TILLES 1,824,636

J HOSIERY Filed April 16, 1931 INVENTOR ROY E. 7/4155.

HI ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES ROY E- TIIIIIES, OF NEW ROCHELLE, YORK EOSIERY Application filed April 16,

This inve tion relates to stockings such as those made b delicate fibre and usuall lmit or looped on certain machines known in the art.

The invention is particularly adapted for, and in the present instance is applied to full fashioned stockings made of silk. The object of my invention is to provide a stocking, the more sheer main portion of which is knit or looped in the usual way, but the upper portion of which is a stronger or reinforced material made of heavier threads than the main portion of the stocking.

This reinforced or strengthened portion of the stocking is referred to in the trade as the welt.

On the accompanying drawings, Fig. ,1 is

a plan view of a complete stocking. Fig. 2

is a similar enlarged view of the upper portion thereof, and Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, but showing the upper portion of the stocking folded upon itself.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the main portion or leg of the stocking, and the numeral 2 the foot portion thereof. The reinforced portion extends from the point 3 to the point 4. The upper edge of the stocking, at 4, is usually finished in a somewhat zig-zag or irregular form known to the art. Immediately below this edge 4 is a doubled portion of the stocking, indicated by the line 5. The joint between this doubled portion and the lower portion of the stocking is knit together when the stocking is manufactured;

Below the doubled portion, terminating at 5,'and in the welt, terminatin at 3, are a series of transverse lines of sm openings or perforations formed in the-process of transfer of the loops by a special action of the knitting machine. These cross loops forming perforations, cause the heavy material of the stocking to be somewhat more flexible at such points. This enables the wearer of the stocking to fold the stocking over on such cross stitches or perforations, so that the length of the stocking may be made to accommodate different lengths of legs of the wearers.

knitting by cross looping or the lateral 1931. Serial No. 530,601.

Fig. 3 of the drawings indicates a'stocking of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 applied to the leg of the wearer, the top or reinforced portion being folded down as indicated at the point 7. The stocking in such instances is usually retained in place by the use of a garter, as indicated by dotted lines at 8. It will thus be seen that a band garter may be placed between any two of the transverse looped or perforated portlons 6, the fold coming immediately'above the upper edge of the garter and producing a more finished appearance of the stocking atthat point than would be the case where the plain fabric of the reinforced is folded over the garter.

Another advantage of the construction above referred to resides in the fact that the garter is in some instances likely to produce runs in the knit fabric of the stocking structure. In the present instance, when a clasp garter is attached between the two rows of the cross looped stitches, the run is prevented from travelling downward beyond such stitches; wherei as, in the case of the omission of such stitches, the run would continue down the leg of the stocking. It will thus be appreciated that I have produced a structure in a stocking fabric which reduces the possibility of runs to a minimum, at or,bey'ond the point where the garter is applied.

A further advantage of the above structure resides in the fact that when a stocking of the type described is placed in a .box or other container for display and sales purposes, the top... of the stocking may be folded on one of the lines of transverse stitches, thus giving the stocking a finished appearance when the upper part is folded beneath the adjacent part. This effect would not be produced when the stocking is provided with 'a welt or reinforced portion not containing the cross or transversely looped stitches.

It will be;appreciated from the above description and after a consideration of the drawings, that the embodiment of my invention is not limited to the precise number of cross or looped stitches in the welt porportion 65 tion of the stocking, but the number of such rows of stitches or loops may be such as to comply with the preference and demand of the purchasers.

Having thus described this form of my invention, what I claim and desire to protect b Letters Patent is:

1. Iii a full fashioned stocking of delicate material, such as silk and adapted to be folded to accommodate legs of different lengths, and having adjacent the top thereof a welt of heavier reinforced material, the improvement which comprises providing the welt which is extended downward a distance at least reater than the width of the stocking at lts open end, and providing such welt portion with a plurality of spaced rows of laterally transferred loops forming transverse lines of openwork whereby the stocking is adapted to be folded downward so that the fold occurs upon and about one of the upper rows of open work t? ionform the stocking to varying length 0 eg.

2. In a full fashioned stocking having the main portion thereof of sheer and delicate material such as silk and adapted to be folded to accommodate legs of different lengths, and having a welt of reinforced or heavier fabric than said main portion, the improvement which comprises having the welt extended downward to accommodate a plurality of transverse bands of said reinforced fabric of substantial width, and provided with a plurality of rows of laterally transferred loops forming lines of open work defining said bands, each of said laterally transferred rows of loops forming a stop to prevent runs below points at which a garter may be applied to any one of said bands.

Signed this 11th day of April, 1931.'

ROY E. TILLES. 

